Ramon Jacobson has been named to lead the dynamic LISC program office in the nation’s capital. He is building on decades of local work to expand affordable housing, businesses, health, safety and jobs throughout the region.
Seasoned community leader takes the helm at LISC DC
Ramon Jacobson will lead high-impact community investment program to build economic opportunity in DC neighborhoods
NEW YORK (April 26, 2019)—The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has named Ramon Jacobson as executive director of the Washington D.C. LISC office (LISC DC), which has invested more than $369 million in affordable home ownership, rental housing, commercial and retail properties, and community facilities throughout the District.
Jacobson has served as acting director for LISC DC since early 2018, when he stepped in after the death of Oramenta Newsome, who headed the program for more than two decades. Previously, Jacobson worked as LISC DC’s deputy director overseeing a broad range of community investment activities, from affordable housing and economic development to public partnerships and community engagement.
“Ramon is an innovative, valued partner for community leaders and policymakers throughout the D.C. metropolitan area,” said Maurice A. Jones, LISC president and CEO. “He is an obvious choice to continue LISC’s deep engagement in the region, and to steer programs and investments that catalyze opportunities for thousands of residents.”
Jacobson takes over in the midst of a number of ambitious LISC DC efforts, including Elevating Equity, a $50 million initiative to invest in the blocks surrounding the future 11th Street Bridge Park in order to foster equity, inclusiveness, and an improved quality of life. In less than three years, more than $42 million has already been invested into these neighborhoods, ranging from operating support for local partners to housing and commercial investments.
Last year, LISC DC, under Jacobson’s leadership, was chosen by the District’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to serve as the Preservation Fund Manager, and was awarded $5 million that will serve as the foundation of a $38 million fund in 2019. As fund manager, LISC works closely with tenants and with developers to ensure that Washingtonians who persevered through the lean days can remain as the District’s prosperity expands, Jacobson explained.
“Oramenta left a legacy that guides our path forward, not just in what we do but how we work—engaged with residents and neighbors, in partnership with deeply-rooted partners, and determined to deliver today while preparing for change,” he said, noting the organization’s 37-year history in the District. “Her spirit of optimism, commitment and clear thinking are core values as we strive for realizing the goal of shared, inclusive prosperity.”
Before joining LISC in 1998, Jacobson spent two decades working to build pathways to economic security and health for people across the country. He developed programs to help house people experiencing homelessness in New York and in the Twin Cities, most notably with the Corporation for Supportive Housing, and he worked as a consultant and researcher for health foundations studying how access to primary care impacts residents and communities.
Jacobson holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard University, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He can be reached at 202-739-9273 or rjacobson@lisc.org.
About LISC
With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1979, LISC has invested $20 billion to build or rehab 400,500 affordable homes and apartments and develop 66.8 million square feet of retail, community and educational space.